Verbena plant named ‘Bodcomcar’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Bodcomcar’, characterized by its compact, upright and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; and red purple-colored flowers with flowers held above and beyond the foliage.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Verbena hybrida cultivarBodcomcar.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Bodcomcar’.

The new Verbena is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Lompoc, Calif. The objective of the breeding program isto develop new Verbena cultivars with a dense and bushy growth habit,numerous flowers, and interesting flower and foliage colors.

The new Verbena originated from a self-pollination made by the Inventorin July, 1989 of a proprietary Verbena hybrida selection identified as6L1535, not patented. The cultivar Bodcomcar was discovered and selectedby the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from thisself-pollination in a controlled environment in Lompoc, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Lompoc, Calif. has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Verbena are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bodcomcar’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bodcomcar’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.

3. Dark green-colored leaves.

4. Red purple-colored flowers with flowers held above and beyond thefoliage.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the parentselection in plant habit and flower coloration.

Plants of the new Verbena differ primarily from plants of the cultivarBodcomros, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.10/684,576, in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the cultivarObsession Carmine Eye, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Lompoc, Calif., plants of the new Verbena differedprimarily from plants of the cultivar Obsession Carmine Eye in plant andflower form as plants of the cultivar Obsession Carmine Eye are moremounded and have narrower petals than plants of the new Verbena.

Plants of the new Verbena can also be compared to plants of the cultivarSandy Rose, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inLompoc, Calif., plants of the new Verbena differed primarily from plantsof the cultivar Sandy Rose in plant form as plants of the cultivar SandyRose are more upright and taller than plants of the new Verbena.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newVerbena.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Bodcomcar’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view oftypical inflorescences, flowers and leaves of ‘Bodcomcar’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Bodcomcar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype. The aforementionedphotographs and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown in Lompoc, Calif., under commercial practice during the summer ina polycarbonate-covered greenhouse with day temperatures about 21 to 27°C., night temperatures about 16 to 18° C., and light levels about 4,000to 8,000 foot-candles. Cuttings were planted in 10-cm containers,pinched one time, and grown for about seven weeks. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Color Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida cultivar Bodcomcar.

Parentage: Self-pollination of a proprietary Verbena hybrida selectionidentified as 6L1535, not patented.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 13 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internodelength: About 1.75 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146D.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Length: About 3.6cm. Width: About 2 cm. Shape: Deltoid. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Acute.Margin: Irregularly crenate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Coarse,pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 7 to 10 days at 26° C.

Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 21 days at 26° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, summer.—About 21 days at 26°C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner, winter.—About 28 days at 26°C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.

Plant description:

Form.—Compact, upright and mounded plant habit.

Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous and freely-branchingwith about 10 lateral branches developing after the pinch, dense andbushy growth habit.

Plant height.—About 15 cm.

Plant diameter or spread.—About 22 cm. Color: Developing foliage, uppersurface: 137A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded,upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded, lower surface: 147B. Venation,upper surface: 143C. Venation, lower surface: 143D. Petiole: Length:About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 143C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single upright salverform flowers arranged oncompact terminal racemes; flowers sessile. Freely flowering with about15 flowers and flower buds per raceme; about two to three racemes perlateral branch. Inflorescences positioned above and beyond the foliage.Flowers last about four days under greenhouse conditions. Flowers notpersistent.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Flowering season.—In the garden, flowering is continuous from springuntil fall.

Inflorescence height.—About 4.5 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.5 cm.

Flower size.—Diameter: About 2.5 cm. Tube length: About 2.2 cm. Throatdiameter: About 3 mm. Tube diameter, at base: About 2 mm.

Flower buds.—Rate of opening, from showing color to fully open flower:About two days. Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter, apex: About 4 mm.Diameter, base: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Tubular, oblong. Color: 65B.

Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five per flower fused at base. Lobelength: About 1.4 cm. Lobe width: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Roughly cordate.Apex: Emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Velvety, smooth. Color: When opening, upper surface: Brighter than 53A.When opening, lower surface: 54A. Fully opened, upper surface: 57A.Fully opened, lower surface: 57D. Throat: 145C. Tube: 157A to 145C.

Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five, fused into a tube. Length: About 1.3cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Coarse, pubescent. Color, uppersurface: 143D. Color, lower surface: 143B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Angle: Upright toabout 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 143A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Four; adnate topistil. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color:145B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 145B. Pistils: Quantity perflower: One. Pistil length: About 1.8 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted.Stigma color: 144B. Style length: About 1.6 cm. Style color: 144D. Ovarycolor: 144C to 144D.

Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed tobe tolerant to temperatures ranging from 2 to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named‘Bodcomcar’, as illustrated and described.